On Saturday 8^th September, I am going to ride my bike setting off from Land’s End in Cornwall. Not a normal ride though, I am going to keep riding for 9 days, passing 23 counties, 3 countries to cover 969 miles (well, 1560 km sounds worse) up to John O’Groats with plenty of serious hills. No hotel needed, we will sleep in the nature in the lovely British weather. OK fine, I am a bit mad.  

I love cycling, but I have never cycled more than 68.6 miles (I am an Engineer!) in a day. I was even shattered after that recent training attempt. In the 9 days in September, I have to cycle over 100  miles per day. This is all about achieving my own personal goal and raising money to support children with disabilities. I feel it is important  to show myself, and others,  the importance of believing in your abilities, no matter if able bodied or not. Together we can move as far as we want, we can beat distances, and even hills, if we have a proper goal in mind and the right “Targeted Training”. 

So, what is “Targeted Training”?

In September 2017, I started working on a project with an Engineering team at Liverpool John Moores University, in partnership with The Movement Centre. The Movement Centre is a charity providing a specialist therapy, called “Targeted Training”, for children who have disabilities that affect their movement control such as Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome or Global Developmental Delay. This means they may be unable to lift their head, to sit without support or find it challenging to stand or take their first steps. The aim of the project is to design a new generation of standing frame to be used in Targeted Training Therapy. Through a course of Targeted Training, children can gain head control, so they can interact with their family; it can help children develop the skills to sit unaided, so that they can play with their friends. For some children it can enable them to walk, which means they can be
far more independent!

I have taken this 969 miles cycling challenge seriously and started my own “Targeted Training” from April; cycling every day to work and a long distance at weekends. This is the biggest challenge that I have ever put myself through and it is going to be a bit tough, but still nothing like the toughest fight that some  children face to just stand and walk.

Targeted Training is unique to The Movement Centre. As it is a specialist therapy Targeted Training sits outside of the remit for standard NHS funding. This means that The Movement Centre relies on the generous support of donors and fundraisers. It is only with this support that The Movement Centre can continue to make a difference to the lives of children and families throughout the UK. To find out more about The Movement Centre and Targeted Training please watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um-yhhJsOv8&t=114s
and visit: www.the-movement-centre.co.uk .

Please help to make my effort worthwhile by supporting these children, every penny counts.

Thanks

Ariyan